Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-11
SHILLING MAsTER PIECEs.
A Tramp Artists Tale-How Auc-
ton Landscapes Are Made.
From the Noy.tfn0 Journal.

From the NOr.tinO Journal.
lie was no ordinary tramp. That was
plain to be seen, Notwithstanding his
weeks growth OF beard and the air Of
dilapidation which stamped his person.
alty. His oyercoat was shabby, but It's
fraved fur collar toned it up to semi
respectability. He was walking on his
uppers,' but in their palmy days they
had been the shiniest OF patent feathers,
and his velvet vest in its roseate days OF
prosperity must have been OF echoing
elegance.
That was what caught the Pittsburg
Dispatch reporters eye as he strobe into
the BOdenhagen on Carson street the other
night and warmed himself before the fire
and looked wisttully at the long rows of
bottles and decanters. A couple of glasses
OF lager beer loOsed his tongue and he en-
tertained the choice spirits VINO there
cOngregate with tales of travel and inter-
esting episodes that would make book.
He was an ltinerant artist, ready to do
anything from painting portrait to let
tering patent medicine sign. He said
he but recently came from Chicago and
had been on protracted spree.
81 will tell yOu secret" he said, "You
have all seen these auction sales OF oil
neutrality-suspicious. that sell for any sum
OF pictures for 121ac. piece"
Some OF the party looked incredulous.
The stranger continued: 81 found my
self in Chicago broke and looking too
rough to get anything to do in my line.
| learned where one of those daub fac
tories was located and went to the pro-
pretor and told him l wanted a job paint
ing those pictures. He almost froze me
with the look Of surprise and contempt
he put on as he answered: Young man,
those are works of AFT, painted by some
of the best known artists of the old
world
"'Thats all right 1 said, Il know all
about that, and l want job
"'How much do you suppose one or
those pictures cost us? he said. didn't
know anything about that, but L wasn't
going TO make it too high, so ventured
to say 50c."
"Who in - said we paid SOC. ?' he
said, and finally offered me 12kc., the
regular price.
1.-THE first day | made 81, the next SO,
and after that was able to knock out my
thlrty-two pictures a day. They were
about 2x3H feet on muslin. with wagon
paints, and all marine and landscape
views. A gilt frame would be put on,
costing about 81 80 or 81, and then they
were shipped out into country towns and
cities to auctions. Every picture had an
Italian name to 1t, and the auctioneer
would detail scenes IN the artists lite,
ana then some of their cappers would bid
on the picture and pretend to discover
that it was a real Meissonier or Raphael
and some old farmer of a fellow would bid
it up to $25 or $50. The best of these
auction pictures do not cost, for frame
and all, over 81 80 or 49,"
One of the most successful "fakes'
ever worked in the artistic line was by a
young Pittsburg engraver in Chicago.
He was out of money and out of work.
1t was several years ago, just at the be-
ginning OF the decorative art craze. One
day he was passing a shell store with a
friend when an idea struck him. He was
considerable of an artist as we'll as an
engraver. He went in and proposed to
the proprietor to take some of the shells
and paint little landscape in each and
sell them for mantel ornaments.
The shrewd old proprietor said that the
thing would catch the popular fancy and
finally arranged to pay 81 apiece for
painting them. They took dozen Of the
shells home and the pictures suited the
old man. The shell paintings had a great
sale, and in the next three months the
artists made a little over $1,000. and
didn't work very hard either. At the
end of that period competition cut the
price in half again and they went out or
the business, but it was great snap for
the amateurs while it lasted.